Public Opinion in the American Political System

What does public opinion refer to?

The preferences of the general public on political matters.

What principle does the U.S. Constitution employ to address public opinion?

Checks and Balances and Separation of powers.

What does Condorcet's jury theorem argue about voting?

The more votes cast, the more likely the results will be 'correct'.

What is the Delegate Model in representation?

Representatives cater to public opinion even when it differs from their own beliefs.

What is the Trustee Model in representation?

Representatives vote according to their own convictions, which may or may not align with constituents.

What challenge do politicians face regarding public opinion after winning campaigns?

Translating the interests of their constituents into public policies.

What is a principal-agent problem in politics?

A situation where political elites serve multiple principals who cannot clearly communicate their opinions.

How have measurements of public opinion improved over time?

Polling methods have evolved to be more representative of the general public.

What were straw polls and how effective were they?

Early informal polls that were often unrepresentative but sometimes accurately predicted election outcomes.

What was a significant flaw in the Literary Digest's straw polls?

Its sample was predominantly automobile owners, who were not representative of the general public during the Great Depression.

What is the current method for public opinion polling?

Using random probability samples to capture a representative subset of the population.

Why did random digit dialing exclude some demographics in polling?

Subsets of the population did not have access to landlines, leading to skewed results.

How do alternative methods like interviews and focus groups enhance understanding of public opinion?

They provide in-depth opportunities for scholars to gather nuanced information.

What is the role of political socialization?

It describes how members of the public learn and develop political opinions over time.

What are agents of socialization?

Factors that shape how individuals process their surroundings and respond to political information.

How do schools act as socialization agents?

They play an important role, especially during a child's early education.

What is partisanship in the context of political socialization?

Political party affiliation that serves as a primary predictor of vote choice.

Who is considered the most influential agent of socialization?

Parents, as they heavily influence their children's party affiliation.

What is political ideology?

A connection of interrelated preferences about how the political world should ideally look.

What is ideological constraint?

The persistence of issue positions over time regarding various political issues.

How does political knowledge vary among the American public?

It is generally low, impacting the ability to process complex policy debates.

What are party cues in the political context?

Indicators like party affiliation that help less-informed voters make choices.

What is the significance of group interests in political opinion?

Belonging to social groups provides voters with information and influences their preferences.

How do political elites manipulate public opinion?

Through framing and priming issues to influence how the public perceives them.

What is meant by framing in politics?

Highlighting specific dimensions of a complex issue to shape public discourse.

What is priming in relation to public opinion?

Making certain considerations accessible in short-term memory to influence opinions.

What factors contribute to government polarization?

Nature of debate, institutional factors, and election processes.

What are the three factors that depend on individual opinion?

Preferences, beliefs, and choices.

How are preferences characterized in political opinion?

Rooted in self-interest and characterized by intensity.

What values are considered near-universal in American culture?

Democracy, equal opportunity, and minimal government intervention.

What is the definition of beliefs in the political context?

What people know and how they understand the world and their actions.

Why are choices important in the context of political opinion?

They force tradeoffs between conflicting values or interests.